Avtovaz notes underutilization of Lada Aura production line, hopes for greater state purchases
MOSCOW. Nov 21 (Interfax) - State purchases of the Lada Aura stretch sedan are currently small, and Avtovaz hopes that the president's instructions on state purchases of localized cars will be fulfilled, the company's head, Maxim Sokolov, told journalists.
The number of Lada Aura registrations in 10M 2025 amounted to 1,118 units, of which individuals purchased slightly more than half, the director of Autostat Sergei Tselikov said the day before on his Telegram channel.
However, when the car was launched into production at the Togliatti plant a year ago, Avtovaz said that production capacities allowed the company to produce up to 8,000 units per year, provided there is demand.
"We can produce up to five Lada Aura cars per hour, but the line is underutilized. The localization of the model exceeds 90%, but state purchases, unfortunately, are still sluggish. We expect that the president's instructions on prioritizing domestic cars for civil servants and state companies will be fulfilled," Sokolov told journalists on the sidelines of Transport Week 2025.
The company has prepared a budget modification of the Lada Aura for taxi fleets, he said.
Earlier this week, Avtovaz said it had reached an agreement to supply 250 Lada Aura cars to partners of the Yandex Taxi service, noting that the first two dozen cars have already been delivered to Moscow and Voronezh. One of the features of the Lada Aura is the increased space for rear-seat passengers. The car is supplied to taxi fleets in the Premier trim with fabric seat upholstery and the maximum set of comfort and safety systems. The model is equipped with a 1.8-liter EVO engine with 122 hp and an automatic transmission.
Speaking to journalists, Sokolov recalled that the amendments on localizing taxi cars come into force on March 1, 2026. The softening of this law's provisions for the self-employed and individual entrepreneurs, currently being discussed by parliamentarians, was not supported by the company.
"The law, adopted in May, should come into force on March 1. We do not share the concerns about rising transportation costs, as Avtovaz cars are cheaper than any Chinese analogues both in price and in operating costs. The law provides for grace periods: cars licensed before 2026 can be operated for another five years, and grace periods are provided until 2028-2030 in a number of regions," Sokolov told journalists at the Transport Week.
"The law must first take effect, and then we will calculate the economics of taxi transportation, understand where the real issue is - and only then will we make specific decisions, if they are necessary," he said.
